Santa, I'm Right Here
by River Tam
Summary: Gordo finds out he's the father of Lizzie's six year old daughter just before the holidays. But can he make things right before Lizzie leaves forever and give her the Christmas wish she wants so badly? Fluff-Complete-Future-AU
1. Chapter 1

**Santa, I'm Right Here**

Lizzie worked in retail for six years of her life. It wasn't a glorious job, but at the current time, she would have taken anything. Now, with Christmas approaching, she found it harder and harder to make ends meet. She had to borrow money from family, with the promise of paying them back, but no way of doing so.

She wanted to give Kyrie something magical to believe in, but with no money, there was no way to make the little girl's dreams come true. Even now, walking through the establishment of her old job, she found several dresses that Kyrie would love to wear for Christmas, but no way to buy them. She stopped and stared at one particular dress. It was black velvet with fake fur around the wrists on the sleeves, and plaid red and gold on the bottom. Kyrie would love it. She paused when she heard a woman come up behind her.

She was soft and gentle, her voice was merely above a small whisper. "Do you like that dress?"

"My daughter would find it absolutely amazing. Do…do you do layaway plans?" Lizzie asked, then quietly shook her head knowing the answer would almost likely be no.

"Yes, but it would need to be picked up by the twentieth." The girl stared at Lizzie curiously. "I know you from somewhere."

"I used to work here," She whispered. "I got fired shortly after the holidays began. Something about wanting younger people."

"I'm so sorry. I remember you now! You had to take maternity leave shortly after I started here…I was covering for you. I didn't know they were training me to be your replacement." The girl frowned and turned away. "If you need help with anything else, just let me know."

As she walked away, Lizzie murmured under her breath. "You can't help me with what I need."

Standing off in the distance was an older man, watching the blonde leave with sadness on his heart. There had to be something he could do to help her. Staring at the dress, he looked away for a moment, wondering if it would be awkward doing this for a woman he didn't know. Then he smiled and plucked the plaid dress from the shelf and took a photograph of it, sending it to someone else for approval.

After moments of silence, he got a response saying yes. The man took the dress and brought it to the register. "I'm buying this for my niece, but I don't know what size she is."

"That's funny, the woman who was just in here wanted that exact…same…you're buying it for her, aren't you?" The woman smiled brightly. "I knew there were still nice people out there!"

"I'm not buying it for her, my employer is. I have no money." The man commented quietly. "How old is her daughter?"

"I started working here about five years ago. She left for maternity the day I was hired, so I'd wager around five…maybe four…ball-parking it." She stared at the dress curiously. "This is definitely too small. Let me go find a bigger size."

The girl left for a while, then came back holding a longer dress with the same design. She placed it down on the counter. "Don't tell my boss, but I'll use my employee discount."

"That's not necessary, my boss is rich." The man placed down the platinum card. "I'm just the one who runs the errands."

"Oh," She commented dumbfound. "Well, here's your dress. I hope your niece likes it."

* * *

><p>Lizzie sat on the floor, her feet folded Indian style, Kyrie sat in her lap with a crayon and Hello Kitty coloring book. Kyrie put the book down and held up the box of crayons to her mother. "Momma, you should make the kitten blue."<p>

"Kittens aren't blue, Kyrie." Lizzie murmured sadly with a sigh of defeat. "I'm not entirely sure, Kyrie, but I'm pretty _positive _they're not blue. You're just like your father," She whispered off-handedly in an attempt at humor. She didn't realize that Kyrie would take her seriously.

"Can I!" The child shouted exuberantly. "Please, momma? I've been a good girl this year."

"You already know the answer to that, Kyrie. Your daddy chose work over us, so meeting him is out of the question. Any parent who can't realize that there's a child involved, shouldn't be called a parent."

"Then why do you?" Kyrie asked, standing to her feet in front of her mother. "You just called him my daddy."

"Kyrie, just because he chose work over you doesn't mean he doesn't love you. He sends you a present every year, doesn't he?"

"But he never sends me what I want!" Kyrie shouted, stomping her foot. "He always sends me stupid stuff that no kid wants."

"Kyrie, be thankful you get anything." Lizzie stared at her hands. "I can't afford to pay the rent," She whispered. "That means we may not be able to stay here much longer."

Kyrie looked at her shoes. "Would they kick us out, momma?"

"They might," Lizzie answered, her voice cracking for the first time in years. "Maybe they'll wait until after Christmas to do it, huh?"

Kyrie nodded and smiled graciously. "People aren't _that _mean, are they?"

"Just in case, Kyrie, go pack your backpack and be ready to go as soon as possible." She waited for the child to run away before she broke down crying. How could anyone leave her in this situation? She could barely bring herself to admit that leaving Kyrie to an adoption center would have been better than where she is now. The phone rang and she reached across scattered crayons to pick it up. "Hello?"

"Lizzie? It's me, Gordo."

"I'm not your charity case, Gordo," Lizzie hissed bitterly.

"I don't want you to be. Just listen. The toys for tots run is sometime next week, I was wondering if you were going to be donating this year." He knew that every year, Lizzie donated something a little more extravagant.

"Sorry, I only have ten dollars to my name," She answered, closing her eyes and rubbing her forehead. "We're getting evicted next week. I didn't want to tell Kyrie."

"I'm sorry to hear that. If I could help, you know I would." He paused and waited. "You can come live—"

"Don't even _finish _that sentence, Gordon. I'm not living with you. You couldn't get me to live with you six years ago, you won't be able to do it now." He sighed and waited a moment for Lizzie to calm down. "Fine, but my door is always open if you need me. Just don't forget about the drive next week."

"Yeah, fine, whatever." She hung up and threw the phone at the table. How could someone so heartless be so sweet to her? He'd turned his back on her when he found out she was pregnant, and now he wanted to be part of her life?

"Kee?" Lizzie asked, standing in the doorway, watching as Kyrie packed her bags. Kyrie held a teddy bear that she was trying to desperately stuff into the bag. Lizzie shook her head and frowned. "Kyrie, you might have to leave it behind. You can't bring all your stuffed animals."

"No! I want to!" Kyrie fell on her butt on the floor and began to cry. "I won't leave Mr. Snuggles behind. Daddy gave him to me."

Lizzie frowned and knelt beside her daughter, holding her hand out. Kyrie climbed into her mother's arms and held her tight. "Momma, do I really have to give up all my stuffed animals?"

"No, sweetie. I'll find somewhere to store them." She answered quietly. "I'll ask my dad if I have to, but we'll store them somewhere. I know your grandparents would never turn their back on you." Even if it meant forgiving the ones she didn't want to be around the most. Lizzie had to do it because it wasn't about protecting herself, it was about protecting her child.

* * *

><p>She held out the last bag to Gordo and frowned. "Keep an eye on her for me. I'll be back for her eventually." As Kyrie ran off to play in the fish tank in the window of Gordo's apartment, Lizzie frowned and wiped her eyes. "If it means her having a chance and me having to suffer, then I'll make the sacrifice."<p>

Gordo reached his hands out and touched Lizzie's arms. "Don't do this, you don't have to find a way to survive, I can help you. Just stay here with your daughter."

"I can't," Lizzie frowned. "I need to find a way to survive on my own. I can't sit here and act like I can survive on everyone else's handouts."

Gordo's normally compassionate eyes changed to a darker color briefly in the quick change of light. "Lizzie, please, don't do this. Your daughter needs you."

"_Our daughter_." She corrected. "She needs her father as much as she needs her mother."

"But she…" Gordo fell quiet, staring at the woman he'd asked to marry so long ago, but she was only a child back then. Now she'd grown up so fast and didn't need his protection anymore. He didn't know what to say to her, and even in the silence that passed, he couldn't find the words to stop her from leaving. All this time he wanted a family, but he wanted it with the girl that would love him, not just the child. "It's a package deal, Lizzie. I can't have her without you." He shouted.

Lizzie was well out of earshot. "Just take care of her for me," Lizzie whispered sadly. "I don't want to make her suffer anymore."


	2. Chapter 2

Kyrie held up a book to the strange man at the counter. He was writing something on a laptop, but she didn't want to bother him. Instead, she climbed into the chair across from him and set the book down on the counter. Gordo's hands froze and hovered over the keyboard. He gave a sideways glance to Kyrie, wondering what she was going to do next. The small child opened the book and began on the first page. "T'was the night before Christmas and all through the house…"

Gordo blinked a few times, wondering how she knew such large words for being only four. It occurred to him very briefly that he was the same way as a child, but his awe didn't stop there. She continued to read until she got to another story underneath of that one. "What's figgy pudding?"

Gordo saved what he was writing and closed the computer, staring at the child across from him with wonder dancing in her eyes. "I don't know, but I bet it tastes pretty good."

"What's Figgie?" Kyrie inquired, leaning onto her elbows. "Are they anything like piggies?"

"No, I don't imagine they are." Gordo smiled and looked at the book. It was similar to the one he'd donated the year before to Toys for Tots. He peered at it quietly and paged through it. The same one, actually. The one he'd given up was a first publication, someone had given it to him to sample and when he was done, he was torn between donating it to a charity or the toy drive. He stared at Kyrie. "Kyrie, where did you get this book?"

She snatched the book away nearly giving him a paper cut. "Santa Clause."

"Do you know where Santa got it from?" Gordo inquired, watching the child cradle the book defensibly. "I want one like it, is that okay?"

She slowly set the book back down and let him page through it. "Wow, this is amazing. I bet Santa was really close to whoever gave it to him."

Kyrie looked at the book and wanted to rip it away again, but her mother had always taught her to share her toys. "Mommy said that she didn't have any money that year, so she brought me to this big building. There were a lot of toys stacked up way high, but I didn't want any toys. So as we went along the line, mommy pointed to a book and said 'Kee, you like to read, don't you, how about that?' so I picked it up and looked at it. I wanted to read it so bad, but we were being rushed through the line, so I kept it. I didn't mean to."

Gordo shook his head with a large smile. "No, Kyrie, you're supposed to keep it. Toys for Tots let you pick out one toy that you want, and if that's what you picked, it's yours to keep." He slid the book back to her and frowned. "I'm glad you picked that one."

"What is Toys for Tots?" She asked merely above a soft whisper.

"It's a place that collects all the toys that fall off of Santa's sleigh and keeps them for other kids. They're still meant for the same people, but without the wrapping, you need to find what you asked for." He sat back in his chair and wondered if Lizzie was alright right now. But she asked him to protect her daughter, so he'd do just that. And if that meant suffering through shorter work days and more play time, he'd do it in a heartbeat. "Santa knows, you know. He knows exactly which toy is meant for which child. And you got exactly what he wanted to give you."

Kyrie smiled brightly and jumped from the tall chair, running to the kitchen. "Daddy, can we make cookies and send them to momma?"

Gordo paused, so did Kyrie. The word exchanged between them seemed so foreign. Did Kyrie just call him daddy? "Kyrie did you just…"

"It wasn't on purpose, I promise." She frowned and waited for the next thing to come from his mouth. When he didn't speak, she stared up at him with large blue eyes similar to his own. "Please don't be mad."

"No…I'm not mad at all." He swept the child up into his arms and held her close, placing his palm to the back of her head while she cried. "You can call me daddy if you want. It sounds nice coming from you."

When he was sure the child was done crying, he sat her down on the counter, where she began to kick her feet excitedly. "Are we making cookies for momma?"

"We're not just making cookies, we're gonna make her super special one of a kind cookies." Gordo announced. "They're going to be shaped like Rudolph!"

"Rudolph!" Kyrie's eyes lit up significantly. "I love Rudolph!"

"So does your mommy." He smiled and began to gather tools from the cupboards. He set down some sprinkles and several other things. "Oh my, we seem to be out of frosting. Shall we go to the store?"

Kyrie nodded excitedly. "Can we?"

"You're a very odd child, Kyrie Faith." Gordo commented and blinked. How had he known her middle name? He shook his head and helped her down off the counter. "Did your mommy pack you a jacket?"

Kyrie shook her head no. He frowned a little and went to a hall closet, digging through the boxes until he found one of his jackets from when he was little. If little meant high school, that is. He held up the dark blue hooded jacket and stared at Kyrie. Kyrie stood quietly, her feet pointed inwards. There was no way that jacket would fit her. Kyrie stared at the jacket, eyes twinkling. "Can I have it?"

"Well, it's not pink…and it's a little big…but I'm sure you can have it." Gordo handed the jacket to her and helped her put it on; staring at the sleeves that reached well passed her knees. "Try not to trip on it, okay? I'll hold your hand so you won't fall. We'll get you something better at the store."

* * *

><p>Kyrie ran down the aisles of the store, chasing what she had described as a butterfly dragon. Gordo had corrected her by asking if it was a dragonfly, but the child shouted a no, and said it was actually a dragon with the wings of a butterfly, and it was going to kill him if she didn't defend him. She held a coat hanger in her hands as a sword, chasing after the imaginary dragon and attacked random displays with it. He didn't feel a need to stop her until she hit a woman in the leg by accident.<p>

"Kyrie Faith McGuire, come here right now." Gordo announced, watching the child scamper sadly to his side. "Stay beside me."

"But the butterfly-dragon might try to eat you if I don't protect—"

"The butterfly-dragon is no match for me, trust me." He sorted through the coats and sighed. "I don't even know what size you are."

Kyrie folded her arms and stared at the jackets for a long time. "I don't like these."

"Too bad," He answered, starting to grow frustrated. "You have nothing else; you'll take what you get."

"Why can't I keep this one?" She asked.

"It makes you look homeless—"

"Like my momma?" She asked, blue eyes shining with an unseen understanding of the situation. He hadn't realized how much she really knew about the circumstances regarding her mother. Even after a week of not hearing a word from Lizzie, he wasn't sure she was even alive. And if she was, she was likely sicker than death because of the snow.

He looked away for a moment, wiping away his tears. "Kyrie, your mom will be okay, she's stronger than I am, and I can slay the butterfly-dragon."

"Momma has killed him. Twice." Kyrie answered, her arms still folded, feet facing inward again. He hadn't noticed it before, but this child was so much like him as a child it didn't make sense. He wasn't even sure that Kyrie was his child. There was too much doubt in his mind. What about That Harvard guy, Kyrie's real dad? Or the one that Lizzie had said was her real dad. Kyrie tugged on a random lady's sleeve.

The short dark haired woman turned to look at the child, her hair was in frizzy curls and a pair of tortuishell glasses sat on the edge of her nose. She seemed busy, so Gordo started to wonder if bothering her was really a great idea. On her elbow was a curled wire with a set of keys, and she held a stack of yellow papers, clearly doing inventory of some sort. Her nametag read June. "Can I help you?"

The way she asked made Gordo flinch, but Kyrie didn't back down. "I need a jacket."

"You're standing in the jacket's section." The woman replied, glaring at Gordo.

"I—I'm babysitting. Her mother didn't tell me her size." Gordo answered, nervousness becoming the most forward emotion on his mind. This woman intimidated him. He looked at his shoes, his cheeks a dark red. "She doesn't have a jacket. I gave her mine. I don't know where to start looking."

The woman handed the yellow papers off to another woman – Ricky, and curved her finger to follow her. She led them through several racks before stopping on the far side of the register. "This is the entire little girl's stuff. Her size would be in here somewhere." She knelt down to Kyrie's height and stared, doing the math in her head. "She looks like she'd be a five." Plucking a jacket off the rack, she handed it to the child to slip on.

Kyrie slid off the jacket Gordo had given her and held it up to him. He graciously took it and watched Kyrie struggle to put on the fluffy pink jacket. It was trimmed with soft white fur, the buttons seemed to sparkle. How would he afford this? He quietly looked away as the woman spoke to the child. "Do you like this one?"

Kyrie nodded enthusiastically. "It's pretty!"

June stood and helped the child out of the jacket, handing it to Gordo. "First time being a dad?"

He nodded and blushed again softly, holding the old jacket in his arms. He noticed that Kyrie was standing still staring at something off in the distance. "Kyrie Faith, we're leaving."

Kyrie ran to his side, her hand pointing back as she shouted excitedly. "It's Santa! I want to thank him!"

"Kyrie, maybe another day."

"No! It has to be today!" She pointed to the sign. "He leaves tomorrow and then I'll never get to thank him!"

Gordo hurried and paid for the jacket, taking Kyrie's hand as she led her through display racks until they reached Santa sitting in a chair. He was staring at Kyrie curiously. Kyrie stopped and looked up at Gordo. "Can I?"

"Of course," Gordo answered, as Kyrie ran off to sit on Santa's lap.

"Hello, child, what is your name?"

Kyrie frowned. "Doesn't Santa already know my name?"

Gordo had to admit, Santa was quick with his lies. "Well, I need to verify it's you. Anyone can say they're Suzy Q, but only you know if it's really you."

"Oh…makes sense." She coughed slightly. "My name is Kyrie Faith McGuire."

"Kyrie? As in _Lord_?" He smiled and laughed quietly. "My last name is McGuire, too."

"No it isn't. It's Clause." Kyrie corrected skeptically.

"Santa Clause is my cover name. I use that name so people don't swarm me on the streets. My name is Garth McGuire." He answered, tugging gently at Kyrie's curly blond locks. "What do you want for Christmas?"

"I want to thank you for finding my daddy for me…and for giving me a jacket…oh, and for keeping me safe. And the book I got last year, I really like it. It's my favorite of all." She looked down at her feet. "But I want to ask you to protect my mommy. She left, you see, and I don't know where she went. I hope she's okay. I miss her a lot. Please make sure she's not sick." Kyrie followed it up with a small smile. "That's what I want for Christmas."

Santa nodded. "I'll keep an eye on your mommy for you. Maybe she'll help me deliver presents this year?" Santa smiled. "That would be something, I remember your mommy saying she needed a job. A full time delivery girl for Santa..sound's special, huh?"

"Momma may not be qualified for that," Kyrie answered, shaking her head. "Please just keep her safe."

"Oh, I will, I promise. It's impossible for me to break a promise." Santa answered, helping Kyrie down onto the floor. He saw the child reach into her pocket for something.

She pulled out a note and a tiny stuffed doggy. Handing them to Santa, she frowned. "I found these on the ground. I wondered if they belonged to the Toys for Tots."

"The…" Santa stared, dumbfound as he read the note.

_We don't have our house no more, I wish we could go home. Mama says we will some day and she prays it won't be long. But they closed daddy's factory and took most of our things…Now Santa, I don't need to much, so this year could you bring: Bring my mom a coat that's warm, 'cause the one she's got is awful torn. Maybe dad could help you work, making' toys for boys and girls?_

_Oh, Santa, if you can't find me, we're living' out here on the street. But I'll be watching' for you, you're not gonna forget me, are you? Daddy says he knows you'll try, but we might be too hard to find this year…Santa, I'm right here_

Santa stared at the note for a long time, then looked at Kyrie. "I will find this child and make sure they get their wish. Thank you for helping me, Kyrie Faith. You would make a very good elf one day."

Kyrie smiled and nodded. "Thank you, Santa."

As Kyrie ran back to Gordo and took his hand, she could hear Santa crying in the distance. "Why is Santa sad?" Kyrie asked.

Gordo hid his own tears and stared at the child beside him. The child that reminded him so much of the woman he loved. "He isn't sad. He's happy. You found the lost child for him. Every so often, Santa has a child that gets lost and he needs help finding him. Sometimes the elves can find them, but other times he needs our help. You made his day for him."

Kyrie shrugged. "I guess so." She looked up at Gordo with a frown. "Can we get something for the nice lady who picked out my jacket?"

"Of course, what were you thinking?" He asked, knowing the answer would be too expensive.

"A hug."


	3. Chapter 3

"What should we get for your mommy?" Gordo asked, standing in line with the frosting in his hands. They'd gotten quite a bit with the promise that Santa would get some Rudolph cookies as well. Kyrie shrugged. "Your mommy wants something, doesn't she?"

"She wants daddy to stop being mean to me." She answered, looking up at him. "And for some guy named Gordo to love her again." She paused and stared distantly at the gloves on a shelf next to her. "And for us to get our house back." Kyrie blinked and added to that. "She also wants a job."

He quietly stared at the child, still hung on the Gordo part. "I can't help with the first one…or the last one…but I can help with the second and third." He answered with a small smile. "Gordo happens to be a very close friend of mine. And I happen to know the landlady that is renting your apartment." He stared down at the floor. She still loved him after six years of lying to him about their daughter? He looked away and put up the frosting and the doll he and Kyrie had picked out. He had told her it was for his niece, but Kyrie didn't need to know he had no siblings.

As they left the store and passed the Marine Santa waving the bell for TFT donations, Gordo dropped the doll in and murmured something about needing a Christmas miracle this year. He had never suspected that the family he wanted so badly was hurt so much. When they walked through the streets of snow, he could see Kyrie stopping to gather snow in her hands. "Can I take the snow home?"

"It would melt, it's not meant for indoors." Gordo replied casually. "But maybe I can bring you out to play in the snow with mommy?"

"That would be fun!" She shouted enthusiastically. "Let's do that!"

"We will when we find your mother." He stared down alleys wondering if Lizzie was in one of them. Worse, what if she was working in a bar? The thought dawned on him that at least she would be warm, but what about all those people who lust after women? He shivered and picked up Kyrie into his arms. "It's safer this way."

* * *

><p>Kyrie darted around the apartment with one of Gordo's old model airplanes and stopped in the kitchen. "We're coming in for a landing, captain! Oh no, the butterfly-dragon is back! He'll eat us! Noooo! I'm too young to die! Don't let him get us!" Kyrie was very good at throwing the pitch of her voice to imitate different people, so he had no doubt which person said what. It was until the plane crashed into the batter that he didn't even wonder what she was doing. "We've landed in a soft doughy substance. And it tastes delicious, sir!"<p>

Gordo held back a fit of laughter as he tried a ball of dough. It did taste pretty good, actually. He rolled up the dough and placed it on the pan, then flattened it out with a rolling pin. "Are you going to help me, Kyrie?"

She looked up from the batter and smiled with a chocolate grin. "Yes, but not until Rudolph is warm again. Right now he's so cold because of the snow!"

Gordo nodded and used the cutter to make Rudolph shapes and set them to the side. "Kyrie, what does your mom call you?"

"Kee," She answered with a frown. "Mommy is okay, right?"

"Yes, she's fine," In reality he didn't know, but he was praying that Lizzie was okay. It wouldn't be a Christmas miracle without her. He held out a pre-baked cookie to Kyrie and she graciously accepted it, chomping off the legs first. "You're a vicious little girl, you know that?"

Kyrie ignored him and had Rudolph spin into a nose dive. "Oh no! Rudolph can't fly without eyes! Or feets!"

Gordo chuckled as the doorbell rang. He dusted off his hands and was still laughing as he came to the door. Behind it was Sergei, smiling proudly. "I got what you asked for."

"Thanks, Sergei, I appreciate it. Did you get everything that was on the list?" Gordo inquired, staring at the stack of boxes.

"Yes, it is all hidden safely in the garage." He watched as little Kee ran by with a cookie chasing a fighter plane. "She is an odd child."

"She's like her daddy," Gordo commented with a feeble smile. "That's a term I won't get used to any time soon."

Sergei frowned slightly and held out the small gift bag. "I got what you requested for Elizabeth, but I do not see her anywhere."

"She's…somewhere," Gordo stared at the man with shocked wide blue eyes. "You lost her?"

He nodded. "She suspected someone was following and called the cops. I have not found her since." He let go of the bag as Gordo took it gingerly into his hands and frowned. "I am sorry I lost her, but I will try again."

"Please and thank you, Sergei. It would be a great help."

* * *

><p>The gifts were placed under the trees carefully, and the cookies were half eaten, as well as the carrots that were left behind. The milk was all gone, and the book was paged through. Gordo fell asleep on the couch waiting for Santa. Or at least, that was the excuse when Kyrie found him there the next morning. She jumped up and down excitedly. "It's Christmas morning!"<p>

Gordo rubbed his eyes and stared at the tree that was still lit from the night before. It was decorated by him, weeks before Kyrie had arrived, but the child had added her own touch with ornaments from a box that she got from her mother's storage. He sighed and stared down at the boxes, knowing that his miracle wouldn't come this year.

Kyrie tugged his hand and pulled him towards the floor. "Come on, I want to see what Santa got me!"

Gordo sighed and fell onto the floor, folding his legs. "Kyrie, shouldn't you eat breakfast first?"

"No! I want to see what Santa got me!"

Gordo sighed in defeat and allowed the child to rip open the presents. It seemed like a dream, he couldn't keep track of it at all. Wrapping paper went flying every which way blocking his vision. Every so often he'd hear an excided announcement about what the item was, but he wasn't paying much attention.

As Kyrie got to the last box, she tore off the paper and opened it up to stare at the item. It was a doll, rather similar to the one that Gordo had donated the night before. He wondered where it came from, crawling over to stare at the note on the box. It was an envelope addressed to him. He peeled it off and opened it.

_I picked this out at Toys for Tots…I hope she likes it._

_Lizzie._

His eyes began to tear and for the first time he realized that Lizzie was still alive.

For the next two hours he helped Kyrie open boxes and assembles toys. Most of the boxes were baby doll items. Sergei had sent images for confirmation to make sure it was something the child actually wanted, and Gordo was glad to see it was indeed what the child wanted. He brought the toys into the open room near the bedroom, placing the doll set in such a way that it looked like an apartment. "There you go your own little apartment."

Kyrie laughed and cried at the same time. He wasn't sure what was happening. "What's wrong?"

"I wish mommy could see me all grown up." She laughed and hugged him. "Santa was nice to me this year."

As Gordo left the room he couldn't help but think that the name Garth sounded familiar. Wasn't that Lizzie's grandfather? He shook it off and sat on the couch, staring at the sloppily made cookies. Kyrie had painted on the frosting, mostly on the wrong sides. He picked one up to eat it, and then dropped it when the phone rang. "Hello?"

"I didn't forget my promise." Came the female voice on the other line.

Gordo swallowed hard and stared ahead of him at the fireplace lit in the background. "Lizzie?"

"I'm coming back for her." She answered.

"But I like playing daddy…" He whispered.

"You _are _daddy," She replied, biting down on her lip. "Gordo, take care of her for a little while longer."

"Why can't I take care of you, too?" Gordo asked, shaking his head. "No! You come home _right now_, Elizabeth! I won't do this anymore. I won't spend the rest of my life wondering where you are. I want to be with you. Isn't six years long enough to be without you? Haven't we suffered enough? It's Christmas for God sake, come home. You don't need to be wherever you are."

"I'm at my grandfather's grave," Lizzie answered after a long silence between them. "It's hard to be alone on Christmas. I've done it for so long, letting my daughter be happy and believe her daddy was a jerk because I was afraid to be happy again. I lied to her, I feel bad, I lied to you, and it kills me. But, you were still kind enough to take care of her." Lizzie smiled. He could hear it in her voice that she was picking up the mood a bit. "Expect me home in a few days. I'm in California right now. It's a long way back to New York."

"How did you afford to go to California?" He asked; wonder becoming the forefront of his thoughts. "…damnit, Sergei!"

She laughed and blew a kiss. "I'm taking my daughter back when I get home."

"Not if I don't let you," He answered. "She made you cookies. And figgy pudding."

"Oh my, someone's been busy." Lizzie answered coughing slightly. "I have to go now, Gordo. Tell Kyrie I love her."

"Can't you tell her?"

"No, she can't know I'm on my way home in the next few days."

It was then that he heard a knock on his apartment door again. Before he could say he loved her and missed her, she hung up. He frowned and went to answer the door. Standing on the other side was the woman he'd come to love, holding up a small box with Kyrie's name on it. She brushed her long locks behind her ears and waited for Gordo to speak. "Okay, so maybe I lied again." She answered before he could open his mouth.

"You're…"

"Home?" Lizzie nodded and set the box on the banister. "Where's my daughter? I want her back."

"No. She's not an item. You can't just _take _her." Gordo shouted. "You have to go through me."

"That's not very hard," Lizzie retorted. At least, it wasn't hard, until he dropped to one knee. "Gordo…what are you doing?"

"Kyrie told me your Christmas wish." He held out the small box. She stared at his trembling hands. "She said you wanted her daddy to stop being mean to her, a new home, a job, and me to love you. I never stopped loving you, you can work for my multi-million-dollar company—or never work again, it's up to you really—you can live with me…and I promise you, I will _never _be mean to Kyrie."

Lizzie took the box and stared at the contents. For being a multi millionaire, she'd expected something more elaborate, but Gordo was always a simple man. She tugged the ring from the box and peered at it. It was a simple silver band with the words _What Dreams Are Made Of _on the inside; commemorating the moment he'd really fallen in love with his best friend. He took it from her and slid it carefully onto her finger and waited for a reaction. "A new family, huh?"

"More like fixing the old family," Gordo answered, kissing her palm. "Please let me be a part of our daughter's life. Please, Lizzie. I can't honestly let her go now that I've met her."

"I wasn't going to ask you to."

A few minutes passed in silence. "That's a yes, Gordo."

"Oh God, thank you. I was terrified I'd have to send Sergei to find you again. Visiting your grandfather, huh…? His name wouldn't happen to be Garth, is it?" Gordo asked, watching her blonde head laugh.

"Why do you ask?" She inquired.

"Because he told me he'd protect you." Gordo answered. "Kyrie asked him to. He was Santa at the mall."

"Impossible, my grandfather's been dead for twelve years." Lizzie answered pushing passed him. "Where's my daughter?"

"_OUR _daughter. And she's playing in her apartment." He answered.

"Are you _stupid _she's mature, but not _that _mature!" Lizzie shouted. Then she saw the boxes scattered on the floor for a baby crib, a changing table, a kitchen set, and various other things. She put two and two together. "She's in her room, isn't she?"

He nodded. "Playing with the doll that you picked out for her."

When Lizzie tapped on the door, she didn't expect Kyrie to jump on her. "Hello, Kee."

"Momma! You're home! You're okay! Santa granted my wish!" She held her mother tighter and cried. "He said he'd protect you and keep you safe. Momma, I missed you. Daddy missed you, too!"

"I'm glad to be home." She whispered, kissing Kyrie's forehead. "I missed you, Kee-Kee."

As Gordo watched in the distance, he couldn't help but thank God for his Christmas miracle.

* * *

><p><em>This story is dedicated to my grandfather, Robert Sr. My grandfather taught me that it's always better to give than receive. He played Santa during the Toys for Tots drive up where I live, and when he died when I was six, I was devastated. He lived long enough to see to it he did what he had to, and then moved on December 28<em>_th__. My grandfather was an amazing man, and after he died, I promised to always donate to TFT. He made it a point to teach my brother and I when we were young that donating can help some child's Christmas be better. There were days that my brother and I didn't get _anything _and then a random Marine would show up with toys for us. It was captivating. I've wanted to do this story for a long time, and I'm glad it's done with. This was my super-special-Christmas story. I hope you all love it._

_Read and review, and Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah, and the other holidays (I can't remember for the life of me)._

_**I miss you so much, Pop-Pop. Thank you for teaching me the importance of making another child's life more exciting. And thank you for taking care of me and looking out for me, even after you died. Your little letters you've left for me will always make my life better.**_


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